Ruçi: They will not leave on the decisions of the PS leadership or of any party leadership Luan Rama: All CEC members should resign The PS Secretary General, Gramoz Ruçi, rejects the statement by Luan Rama, the other Socialist secretary

By ALEKSANDËR CIPA FORMER BBC CORRESPONDENT Since yesterday, the Albanian-language service of the famous London radio station BBC has been missing one of its operators, a name that has gone silent and a distinctive voice. Ilir Gurakuqi, its correspondent in Rome for the past 7 years, was suddenly confronted with the end of his physical life, while leaving Albanian journalism as a whole with a void that, because of the lateness of the hour, will be felt all the more. It is often mentioned that Albania, as a country without a traditional diplomatic service, finds itself in a reality of representation through spontaneous ambassadors. In the case of Ilir Gurakuqi’s posting in Rome over nearly the last 10 years, this observation holds true, while his worth in this position surpasses any ordinary lifespan. I had the opportunity to meet our colleague Gurakuqi at the premises of the BBC’s Albanian section in London, while his work, through its standards and his personal talent, became evident time and again throughout the entire BBC World Service. Known in many circles of Italian journalism, with close and professionally valued contacts in diplomatic and political salons, not only in Rome, Gurakuqi clearly embodied the profile of a political and diplomatic journalist and Italian correspondent. On dozens of occasions when Balkan and Italian politics resonated with and reflected developments, Ilir Gurakuqi’s radio reports, dispatches and interviews served as informative and analytical references for many of the BBC’s well-known names, such as Gabriel Partos, Tim Kuk, Mark Brein, and many analysts with long experience at the venerable British BBC. Described as Albanians’ correspondent in Italy for this decade, and often referred to for his knowledge of the reality across the Adriatic, Ilir Gurakuqi also represents the case of a journalist with the characteristic experience of the Albanian press in emigration. Many of his contributions to leading Italian, French, Spanish and Portuguese newspapers are pages in a record of the representative contribution made by our colleague Gurakuqi through his qualities and professional intelligence. As the heir and descendant of a family renowned in Albanian letters, Ilir Gurakuqi remains, without a doubt, a unique ambassador for the Albanian presence in Italy, and for the language and art of polyvalent journalism in our times. Before his physical departure from this life, he conveyed yet another piece of news to Albanians through the BBC microphone, while in his voice, from the depths of a stricken heart, remains a kind of deep sorrow felt for him by all his Albanian colleagues and friends and those beyond. In cases such as this, when death shockingly becomes a reality imposed on everyone, one can only say: “What has death got to do with him?!”

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